Police officers accused of terrorising residents

Peter Kariuki, a maize trader who was seriously injured by police officers assigned to restore sanity at Ndabibi ADC farm in Gilgil. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard]

Police officers deployed to restore sanity at Agriculture Development Corporation (ADC)  farm in Gilgil have been accused of terrorising locals. 

Among victims of the police brutality is a 41-year-old trader who was beaten and seriously injured by officers at Tangi Tano while transporting maize produce he had bought from local farmers.

Peter Kariuki said the officers were angered after he requested them to pave way for his two loaded lorries that were ferrying maize produce.

He claimed a group of seven armed officers, dressed in uniform, alighted from a Ford Ranger vehicle, forced him out of the lorry he was driving and beat him up.

“I was driving one of my lorries and on arriving at a narrow route, I met a police vehicle and requested politely to pass on the right side but they came out, charged and begun attacking me,” said Kariuki.

The officers injured Kariuki’s eyes, hands and private parts and allegedly took Sh68,000 from him.

Efforts by his 19-year-old son Kevin Mburu to rescue him from the hands of officers did not bear fruit as he too was attacked.

Called mother

The officers allegedly further damaged the vehicle by deflecting tires, vandalised side mirrors of the two lorries and broke head lights.

“My son came pleading to officers but it fell on deaf ears, they kicked him and damaged my lorries as I watched,” said the trader.

Mburu called his mother Teresia Wachuka to come to their rescue. She arrived at the scene at around 11pm, but she together with seven other people were bundled into the police vehicle.

Inside the vehicle, they were terrorised for approximately two hours before being freed at Tangi Tano police post.

Concerned officers at the station gave first aid to the trader and took him to a private clinic, but was referred to Nakuru Level Five Hospital.

Futile efforts

“My body is aching, look at my eyes, blood was flowing from them instead of tears. My private parts are injured, I’m not sure if I will ever function like a man,” he said.

The victims reported the crime at Elementaita police station OB number 2/30/6/2018.

David Kariuki, another resident of Tangi Tano village, said efforts to have the issue solved by senior officers has remained futile because they face threats from the officers on operation.

“From March, we have been facing harassment from officers doing operation and they force us to give them money, failure to which they attack us,” said Kariuki.

Gilgil Police boss Emmanuel Opuru confirmed the incident and said investigation are underway to take action against the officers.

Mr Opuru said the complainant and accused officers wrote a statement at Elemetaita Police Station on Saturday.